Common Soil Problems

Soil is the basic foundation of your lawn. It is true that grass can grow in just about type soi, a healthy, vigorous lawn requires some basic ingredients in the soil. Lawn problems can often be traced backed to poor soil conditions that can be corrected over time.

Soil compaction, thatch buildup, and imbalanced soil pH levels are the most common soil problems we encounter.

Soil Compaction

Soil compaction occurs from a lack of organic matter in the soil and/or excessive foot traffic on the lawn. Too much clay in the soil also leads to compaction. Compaction reduces the soils ability to hold water, nutrients and air for proper root development.

Annual aeration programs help reduce compaction.

Thatch

Thatch buildup is another problem. Thatch in lawns is often misunderstood-- both its cause and control. Some lawns have serious thatch problems while others don't.

Thatch is a layer of living and dead organic matter that occurs between the green matter and the soil surface. Excessive thatch (over 1/2 inch thick) creates an environment favorable for pests and disease and an unfavorable growing environment for grass roots plus can interfere with some lawn care practices.

Thatch is a building up dead roots, lawn debris and dead turfgrass crowns. It accumulates as these plant parts buildup faster than they breakdown. Thatch problems are due to a combination of biological, cultural, and environmental factors.

Aeration

Core aerification, followed by topdressing (applying additional soil) are two methods that will generally correct the reasons thatch is accumulating. Core aerifying machines pull up small soil cores to the surface that are left there to act like topdressing. The holes created help solve problems such as compaction or poor drainage. Topdressing is simply adding a thin layer (1/8 to 1/4 inch) of compatible soil over the thatch, which adds microorganisms to help in the thatch breakdown process.